Not as bad as I expected
Written: Sep 29 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheap, easy drinking
Cons: Straightforward, lacks a little hop
The Bottom Line: An adequate lager and fairly predictable, although slightly better than US equivalents. A good barbecue or guzzling beer.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Tecate Beer |
“Tecate is a pleasant Mexican community, where life centers around a tranquil tree-shaded plaza. The city is located about thirty miles east of Tijuana on the road to Mexicali. The biggest point of interest here, of course, is the Cuauhtémoc Brewery, or home of Tecate Beer.” (Baja Life)
It’s almost a month since I wrote my last review, and I really never intended to take such a long break. An epinions boredom break was followed by a period of shock, then mourning, then lack of focus. During that time I really had no interest in analyzing the flavors and contents of the beers I was drinking.
Since then I managed to acquire a beer refrigerator, subsequently stocked with miscellaneous 6-packs. After many nights glued to MSNBC and CNN, those 6-packs are down to ones and twos and running out of time to be reviewed. Of course it’s not unlikely that I’ll get around to buying a Tecate again but this seemed like an easy enough beer to review to get me back into the epinions groove again.
A Little FYI
Tecate was first brewed as a local beer in 1944, and now belongs to Cerveceria Cuauhtémoc. It has since established itself as one of the most successful Mexican brands. One source stated a 50% share for the beer in Mexico (although I didn’t keep a note of the details), while a recent image change helped lift the beer to 3rd largest US import behind only Corona and Heineken. Furthermore Tecate has gained international status, now reaching to 35 countries.
In 1953, Tecate became the first Mexican canned beer (another again unverified source stated it was the first canned beer in the world). In 1991 Tecate became the first Mexican 12 pack.
So what’s it like?
I normally drink cheap beer straight from the bottle or the can, but out of curiosity just had to see how this one fits into a glass. It’s a pale golden appearance with striking clarity, a light carbonation, and a “don’t blink or you’ll miss it” foam.
The nose gives an inviting blend of malt and hops with a slight peppery note. There’s a slight sourness, maybe skunkiness, that gets masked behind an otherwise agreeable aroma.
This is a medium bodied, easy drinking beer, smooth on the palate but also carrying a little ruggedness with a gentle carbonation. An almost herbal, fruit estery flavor briefly questions the tip of the palate and makes you think that this brew is not all as simple as it might seem. This is followed by a grainy dryness that balances against an adequately weighted malt backbone. A disappointing sourness creeps into the aftertaste, encouraging a swift second sip (or guzzle).
While not standing out as anything to write home about, this is at least a decent and adequate brew. Essentially straightforward and predictable, there is a little more character than I would have initially expected. Many would call this imported Budweiser, but in my experience it’s a little better than that maybe ranking a point or so higher than Original Coors. As Mexican beers go it’s much better than Corona (what isn’t) but I’d definitely try and push you closer towards a Bohemia, Dos Equis Amber, Pacifico, or Negra Modelo.
Who would like this?
I’d probably call this a progressive beer, or an adequate cheap beer, kind of a step up from Budweiser, while carrying just about enough to be accepted and acknowledged by more adventurous beer drinkers. I’d probably pick it up again on sale, as a worthy beer fridge filler.
How to serve
I did it the service of pouring it into a glass but just as Bud seems to beg being drunk out of the bottle, so Tecate begs to be guzzled from the can. It’s pretty much an outdoors or summertime beer, and probably well suited to fish tacos, chips and salsa, chili, or anything with tapatia sauce.
Footnote
I can't believe this beer is 100% recommended. I was almost tempted to not recommend to strike a balance. If you asked me I would say it's about 63% recommended. So much for unbiased consumer research.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
Reviews written: 219
Trusted by: 174 members
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